Adventures In Huntsville State Park
By Gage Concilio / Kid v.s. Wild ETX
Hey, guys! I know it has been awhile, but I have been pretty busy this summer. The last adventure I went on was to Huntsville State Park on the Fourth of July. If you haven’t visited a State Park in East Texas this summer, there is still time!
The drive to Huntsville from Palestine was long because I sat in the back seat with my dogs, Otis and Gus. They both like to hang their head out of the window, but on this trip they both wanted to sit on top of me. Once we got to the park I let the dogs out and helped set up our travel trailer. We are all glad to get out of the truck!
After we set up the trailer, I decided to do a little fishing in lake Raven. I tried to fish for about an hour but there was too much hydrilla in the fishing area. Every time I cast out my line I picked up so much hydrilla I thought I had caught a fish!
Just as I was about to pack it in, two men came out to the pier where I was fishing. The man had just put a plastic worm on his hook and dropped it about an inch into the water. He leaned down to pick up something from his tackle box when his pole nearly flew out of his hands! He had caught a 5lb bass without doing anything! He was a super nice guy and let me throw it back in.
Just as I was about to leave I noticed something in the water to the left of the pier. About five feet away from the pier a 4ft alligator was resting in the lilly pads. We watched him for about 20 minutes, until he finally swam away.
That night I decided to cook dinner for my family. I built a fire in the fire ring at our campsite. After the flame died down I put the burgers and hot-dogs on the grill. I even cooked enough for Gus and Otis, too! Everyone enjoyed dinner, and a little later I made smores!
The next morning I got up really early and grabbed my fishing poles. I wanted to try a different fishing pier. I saw a bunch of small fish schooling in front of the pier, and I thought I might be able to catch something. I tried every lure and bait I had in my tackle box, but they just weren’t biting for me. I was disappointed, but I was still having fun.
Since the fish weren’t biting I decided to go swimming! I rode my bike down to the swimming area. The water was nice and cool, so I jumped right in. I kept a sharp eye out for gators though!
If you haven’t visited a State Park in East Texas this summer make plans to visit one soon! You do not need a fishing license to fish in a State Park in Texas and most parks offer primitive camping, screened cabin facilities, and sites with electric and water hook-ups. Many parks also offer canoe, kayak and paddle boat rentals as well. Get outside and enjoy the summer before it is over!